Gold
by Kage kioku aji tenshi
Summary: Summary: So I saw Fanart of the Golden river and I suddenly had a need for a Bilbo got covered with the liquid gold Au. Medical Inaccuracies, Major Character Death (Bilbo)


Summary: So I saw Fanart of the Golden river and I suddenly had a need for a Bilbo got covered with the liquid gold Au.

Medical Inaccuracies

* * *

Their King's hands were stained with gold, a sliver dragged down his face. Those newly arrived wondered how, some whispered that in his Goldsickness had tried to cover himself with gold, so that he might always keep it as his own.

But the King's Company, the ones that had travelled with him to take back the Mountain when no other would knew the truth and none dared speak of it, though it had been shakily recorded by Ori The King's Scribe's hand in his account of the Quest for Erebor. The Scribe had never again been able to pen the tale after that first recording, all new copies made by apprentices, so they might learn what they had lost in order to gain the Mountain.

Their King had not gotten Goldsick as they all had, entranced by the Golden river that covered the floor of the Great Hall, made from an attempt to stop the Dragon, a failed attempt.

One member of their party had been much too close, had called out to the Dragon to stop it and the Dragon, the Dragon had no purpose to stop but swung his tail and the fourteenth member of their Company had over balanced when he'd ducked, had fallen into the river of Gold as the Dragon descended on Laketown.

Their King had heard the Hobbit's cry, he'd tried to reach him before he'd fallen but had failed to grab him, Bilbo's hand slipping passed his fingertips as the Hobbit splashed into the liquid Gold.

Thorin had reached into the burning Gold and pulled the Hobbit from the river, had held him as Bilbo had shuddered and gasped while he burned from the heated Gold.

From his coat, the Hobbit had pulled the Glowing Arkenstone and tried to press it into Thorin's hands but Thorin had shaken his head, pressed it back into Bilbo's chest as the Hobbit gasped.

'You will be a good king.' The Hobbit had gasped out, trailing a gold soaked hand down the King's face, 'I would have liked to call you mine.'

And Bilbo Baggins had managed a final smile as he closed his eyes and rattled a last breath and laid still, the Arkenstone still pressed in his hand against his chest, the King settling the other over his other hand, creating a cradle for the Stone.

The king had set the cooling body away from him, staring down at his golden hands, to this day he still stared at gold in horror.

Bilbo Baggins, the Golden statue that he'd become, had been buried beside the kings of old, and while his Company was lost in Goldsickness and Men and Elves marching upon Erebor, the King had been engraving Runes of sorrow and apology into the Gold that had become Bilbo Baggins' tomb, he'd searched for a book of flowers and found it written in Elvish hidden in the very back of the Library and had carved Forget me nots made from sapphires for Memories and true love, Orange blossom made from the remainder of the Gems of Starlight for Eternal love, hoping that the Elven King would understand his use of them when he took a moment to explain, and lastly Thorin engraved sweet peas, the petals made by amethyst to say goodbye.

It took several days, days that he had been gone from his Company of Dwarrows and Fili who had taken over during his absence and had sent the Men and Elves from their door without their payment.

And when the Orcs had come Thorin had arrived and seen his Company just watching while others fought and took back his Mantle from his unready Nephew and called them back to themselves, calling their attention to their absent fourteenth member.

'Our Home is ours again, but Bilbo Baggins can never return to his.' he had said, 'I will not cower in this Mountain when he would have battled beside them, when he died for this Mountain to be ours, it is our Home again, I will let no other take it from us.'

And the Thorin had turned from them and began to prepare to break down the barricade they had built, others joining him as they returned from the Goldsickness, and there had been no mention yet of the Gold that stained his face and hands as they rushed to join the battle.

* * *

It had been a solemn affair, the meetings of Kings after the Battle of the Five Armies.

Thranduil, Bard, and Gandlaf standing in wait for Thorin Oakenshield to arrive after settling the injured in the relative safety of the Mountain.

Thorin had arrived, accompanied by his Cousin Dain and his Nephew Fili, who had not dared to look any of them in the eyes. They had ignored the tiredness in the Dwarf's eyes and had offered seats in order to begin.

'I have no time for long meetings.' Thorin had began, 'I have dead to recover and bury, a Mountain to try and stabilize, I would like to thank you for your aid, and I offer King Bard the payment he was offered and more to help rebuild Dale. To the Elven King, I return what was his.'

Thorin had offered the necklace of Starlight to Thranduil, 'What was not used in this necklace I claimed and I will offer you whatever you deem appreciate for their value.'

'You are not acting as your Nephew did.' Gandalf had said, staring at Thorin gravely, 'You do not appear Goldsick as they became.'

Thorin stared at Gandalf, 'I have learned that Gold is a cold comfort compared to others.'

'Call the gems a gift.' Thranduil sneered, 'But I would like to know how they were used.'

Thorin had looked away in silence.

'And I would like to know how my Hobbit is.' Gandalf had demanded.

'Bilbo Baggins is dead.' Thorin had declared, 'The gems were used to engrave gems on his tomb.'

'How did the Hobbit die?' Bard had asked quietly in the shocked silence.

Thorin had pulled his gloves off then and pushed his hair out of his face, revealing the Gold that encased his hands from where he had reached into the liquid Gold for Bilbo, and the gold streak the Hobbit had left behind when he had caressed his face.

'He died when the Dragon fled the Mountain, he fell into gold we had melted to try killing the Dragon and I pulled him from the river of Gold and could not save him. There was no saving him.' Thorin whispered, 'I made his grave before returning to find Fili in charge, he was not ready, not yet.'

There was silence and then they had quickly done what was necessary and Thorin had returned to his duties, hands no longer covered by the gloves, hair pulled back and he led his people through their rebuilding.

It was common knowledge that if you needed the King and you couldn't find him he'd be down in the Halls of the Dead, sitting next to a new Tomb that was carved with careful flowers and trees, rolling hills and grasses, there were little growing things around it, those things that survived in the cold, damp, and dark, here you would find the King of Erebor, speaking quietly about this or that, how trade with the Shire was going well, the exchange of protection for food had been beneficial for them both as well as their Allies, how they had nearly finished organizing the Treasury and that Thorin hoped Bilbo wouldn't mind Thorin giving Bilbo's share to the Men and Elves to use for rebuilding or trade, and how the rest of their Company was doing, all of them Lords now, how Dori had opened a tea shop that he called 'Bag-End', a play on the little tea packets he now sold that could be dipped into hot water for a quick single cup of tea but for the Company reminded them of where they had met a kindly Hobbit who had died for their home. How Bofur and Bifur had opened their own toy shop next to Dori's that they called 'Into the Wilds'.

There had been so many other tales told to the Hobbit that was laid to rest with Kings and secrets were passed to him by others, not only the Company, some came to talk out their troubles, others came to thank the being that had brought them home.

And Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Lonely Mountain had Gold covered hands and a streak down his face and could not bare to look at any Gold without guilt and sorrow weighing down his heart, he wished that the gold that slipped through his fingers was golden curls that sparkled in the sun but that was never to be, never again and his hands were cold with the Gold that encased them, a cold comfort that the gold on his hands was shared by the gold that covered Bilbo's body, that they were linked by the gold that covered their flesh from view, if he dreamed hard enough, when he curled his fingers he could almost feel Bilbo's hand in his.

This gold was theirs and it was the only gold the King ever kept as his own.

* * *

A/N: I don't even know. I'm so sorry for this... whatever this is. I can't believe I wrote this.

I know some of the tenses are weird and I don't know it just reads a little weird to me but I like it so... enjoy, I guess.


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